Writing in a personal capacity to share views, information and resources for teachers, trade unionists and campaigners in London - and beyond!

Saturday, 22 February 2014

Parents and Teachers together, let's stand up for education!

As NUT members prepare for national strike action on March 26, Local NUT Associations are taking to the streets on campaign stalls to get our message across to the public.

On the campaign stall in Brixton this morning

The first of those stalls took place in shopping areas today, including in Hackney, Hammersmith, Southend - and in Brixton, where I went with other South London colleagues to help a Lambeth NUT stall that was also building for the 'South London Education Question Time' taking place on Thursday. (Details via http://antiacademies.org.uk/2014/01/south-london-education-question-time/).

There was a constant stream of shoppers and parents taking our leaflets, signing a petition opposing the proposal to set up a Free School on one of the Lambeth College sites, and discussing the unfair pressures on parents, children and teachers under Gove's privatisation and high-stakes testing regime.

Many Associations will be holding similar stalls in the next few weeks, including my own Lewisham NUT Association on Saturday March 8th, meeting at 11am at Lewisham Clock Tower.

Materials and leaflets have been sent to Local Associations by the National Union, so, if you haven't yet made plans for your local stall, then make sure you do so soon!

Copies of the new National Union parents' leaflet and petition can be downloaded from here: http://teachers.org.uk/files/parent-leaflet-a5-4pp-9223.pdf. and http://www.teachers.org.uk/files/stand-up-petition--9265-.pdf.Here is the main text:The Coalition Government’s policies threaten the standard of education in all our schools and colleges. Help us to persuade Michael Gove to change course.1 Ensure every classroom has a qualified teacherAcademies and free schools are now allowed to employed unqualified teachers. This is a big threat to standards of education.2 Allow councils to open new schools where they are neededThere is a huge pupil place shortage but councils are not allowed to open new schools. Many councils are driven to putting portacabins on school playgrounds to cope. The Government only allows new “free” schools and these are often in the wrong place.3 Make sure changes to the curriculum and exams are positive and plannedRushed changes are stressful for children as well as their teachers. The Government should start listening to what education experts say. They should work together with teachers to develop an exciting and inspiring curriculum that equips children for the modern world.4 Ensure there are enough new teachers – stop picking fights with the ones we’ve gotMichael Gove keeps criticising teachers. Morale is plummeting. Five years after qualifying 2 in every 5 teachers are no longer teaching. On top of that the current system of training teachers is under-recruiting. But instead of dealing with this problem, Michael Gove keeps attacking the teachers we’ve got and they are striking to defend themselves and education.5 Get our schools working together and fund them properlyThe evidence shows that schools working together is best for all children. Financial scandals at free schools show the dangers of privatisation. On top of this fragmentation, 6th forms in schools and colleges are facing 20% cuts while £1.7 billion has been allocated to wasteful and unnecessary free schools.Join the campaign for education! Our children, young people and school communities need your help.

Martin Powell-Davies

* Brought up as a socialist by parents who hungered for what is right * One adopted grandfather left me a double-barrelled name, the other his name on a 1926 General Strike black-list * Joined the Labour Party as a teenager, left it when it abandoned the values and traditions of so many who built it in the past * Given a comprehensive education at St.Andrew's, Leatherhead * First-class degree from King's College, Cambridge, for those who like that kind of thing * Secondary science teacher in London 1986-2015 * Lewisham NUT Secretary 1993-2015, organiser of many campaigns to defend teachers and education * Living in Sydenham since 1997, father of four who were all so well-supported by Sedgehill School * Member of the NUT National Executive 2010-15 * NUT London Regional Secretary 2016 - * Proud to have been name-checked by Gove for saying that his 'reforms' could make teaching unbearable * Member of the CWI, following its global struggles via http://www.socialistworld.net * Candidate for TUSC in Lewisham West & Penge, 2015 * Member of Penge CC, often a 'Middle Aged Man In Lycra' on Sundays